Safe Connections Act of 2022
Latest action · Mar 24, 2022 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 28, 2021
- Passed SenateMar 17, 2022
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Safe Connections Act of 2022
This bill establishes requirements concerning access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms.
At a survivor's request, a mobile service provider must separate from a shared mobile service contract the survivor's line (and the line of any individual in the survivor's care) from the abuser's line unless separation is operationally or technologically infeasible. A survivor requesting this must (1) verify through appropriate documentation that an individual under the contract committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking, or a related criminal act against the survivor; and (2) assume financial responsibility for services after a line separation.
A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must
- separate the line within two business days of receiving a request;
- allow requests to be made remotely (if feasible);
- meet conditions related to confidentiality of, disposal of, and other matters concerning communications about requests; and
- make information about the process for requests available through consumer-facing communications (e.g., websites).
The bill (1) provides liability protection for providers' acts or omissions undertaken to comply with such requests, and (2) requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for these requests.
Additionally, the FCC must (1) expand access to federally subsidized communication services for survivors facing financial hardship, and (2) evaluate this expanded access.
The FCC must also consider rules requiring communication service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs calls and texts to hotlines for domestic violence and similar issues while retaining internal records.
Cosponsors 8
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 28, 2021 to May 26, 2022; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NE | Deb Fischer | Original | Jan 28, 2021 |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Original | Jan 28, 2021 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Jan 28, 2021 |
| R-FL | Rick Scott | Original | Jan 28, 2021 |
| R-WV | Shelley Moore Capito | Feb 12, 2021 | |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | May 26, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | May 26, 2022 | |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | May 26, 2022 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Jan 28, 2021Markup Apr 28, 2021Reported Dec 16, 2021 |
Actions 11
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 24, 2022Received in the House.
- Mar 24, 2022Held at the desk.
- Mar 22, 2022Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 17, 2022Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1246-1248)
- Mar 17, 2022The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 17, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1257-1259)
- Dec 16, 2021Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Dec 16, 2021Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 193.
- Apr 28, 2021Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jan 28, 2021Introduced in Senate
- Jan 28, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1246–S1248Text printed S1246–S1248Amendments S1257 | Brian Schatz D-HI (amendment), Catherine Cortez Masto D-NV, Deb Fischer R-NE (amendment) | Mar 17, 2022 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- May 12, 2022S. 120, Safe Connections Act of 2022As passed by the Senate on March 17, 2022
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5001 | In the nature of a substitute. | Brian Schatz D-HI | Amendment SA 5001 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 7132 | Safe Connections Act of 2022 | Related bill | Dec 7, 2022 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to prevent and respond to the misuse of communications services that facilitates domestic violence and other crimes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Safe Connections Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- Safe Connections Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Safe Connections Act of 2022
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Business records
- Civil actions and liability
- Congressional oversight
- Consumer affairs
- Crime victims
- Crimes against women
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Emergency communications systems
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Government information and archives
- Human trafficking
- Right of privacy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Sex offenses
- Telecommunication rates and fees
- Telephone and wireless communication
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 17, 2022Engrossed in Senate
- Dec 16, 2021Reported to Senate
- Jan 28, 2021Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
